course | Strategies of Contract planning, negotiations and dispute resolutions

Module 1: The Essentials of Contracting
 

• How contracts are formed 
• The reasons for using contracts 
• Basic principles in contract formation 
• Examples of formalities for contract formation
• Authority to sign a contract and the principles of agency
• Basic contractual structures
• Use of different types of contracts for different business models

Main contract provisions and associated issues: managing risk
 

• Hierarchy of contract terms
• Warranty, Indemnity, and Insurance provisions
• Distribution of risk and performance obligations
• Termination, suspension, and force majeure
• Selecting the appropriate law to govern the contract 
• Collateral warranties and entire agreement 

Changes and Variations 
 

• Changes to the contract 
• Transfer of rights: assignment and novation 
• Variation to the scope of work and variations clauses
• Controlling and managing change 
• Minimizing Claims and Disputes
• Delay and disruption

Standardizing Contractual Documents and Securitizing Performance 
 

• Use of standard form contractual documents 
• International standard form agreements 
• Bonds, guarantees, and letters of assurance 
• Managing payment risk
• Reservation of ownership 
• Remedies for default – rework, re-performance, damages, penalties, and performance 

Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management
 

• Using contracts to avoid disputes
• Tiered dispute resolution mechanisms
• The Contract clause encourages negotiation
• Litigation and Arbitration 
• Modern dispute resolution processes, including mediation 
• Course review and analysis

Module02: Negotiating & Dispute Resolutions

Fundamentals of Negotiation
 

• Negotiation defined 
• Disputes and the need for resolution 
• Place of negotiation in the contractual resolution process
• The commercial impact of the breakdown of negotiations 
• Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) 
• The four-phase process of negotiation 

The Negotiator’s Toolbox 
 

• Preparation
• Information needs 
• Drafting your proposal, which will open the discussion
• The negotiation discussion phase 
• Bargain and Close
• Negotiating position setting
   

Negotiating Styles, Tactics, and Ploys
 

• Cultural & international issues 
• Red, Purple & Blue negotiators 
• Non-verbal communication and the interpretation of body language 
• Make time your friend
• Silence and ploys as tactics and how to respond effectively 

Personal Fitness and Dealing with Difficult Negotiations
 

• Interests, positions, and escalation
• Stakeholder power behind the interests in negotiation
• Negotiator as a Mediator
• Team negotiations
• Proposals and persuasion
   

Putting it all into practice
 

• Negotiation case study
• Team allocation and simulation exercise
• Analysis of performance
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Negotiating
• Improving what we do - action planning